Hans Bork

Hans Bork is an Assistant Professor of Classics at Stanford University, specializing in Latin language and literature, particularly Plautus and Roman comedy. His research spans non-Latin Italic languages (Oscan, Umbrian, Etruscan), Historical and Comparative Linguistics, and Digital Humanities projects mapping social networks in Roman drama.

• Ph.D., UCLA, 2018
• M.A., Washington University (St. Louis), 2011
• B.A., Classics & English, UMass Amherst, 2009

Bork's work explores the performative aspects of Latin comedy, focusing on insults, humor, and audience dynamics. He advocates for a “3D” approach combining performance theory and sociolinguistics to analyze how language reflects social boundaries and identity. His digital project with Stanford's CESTA group visualizes character interactions in Plautus, aiming to make ancient texts accessible to non-specialists.

Recent publications include analyses of epigraphic texts in comedy, local jokes in Plautus, and the intersection of mime and palliata genres. Bork also examines how masking and music shaped audience perceptions of humor.

His teaching contributions include a graduate pedagogy course and classes on the reception of Classics in electronic media, such as video games. Despite numerous teaching awards, specific names are not detailed in the text.